


Test

by Ceata88



Category: Overwatch (Video Game)
Genre: Gabe and Jack are still a thing even after the promotion, Gen, I had fun with it, can u tell I'm rly lazy about describing temp characters, dad!gabe, this was a request fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-08
Updated: 2016-12-08
Packaged: 2018-09-07 07:58:18
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,418
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8789860
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ceata88/pseuds/Ceata88
Summary: It's pretty frightening when the rest of your life hinges on a test given by people you don't even like, but it helps when a man like Gabriel Reyes is standing behind you.





	

**Author's Note:**

> This is a gift fic for a v supportive fan, they wanted dad!gabe so u got it

    Jesse decided that he really didn’t like Overwatch.  
  
    He’d thought that back when he’d first gotten arrested and spent almost three days holed up in an interrogation room waiting for his obvious sentence. One way ticket to jail, or death row, at the time he couldn’t decide what would be worse. But after three days mostly strapped to a chair apart from eating and bathroom breaks he was fairly certain death would be a better option.  
  
    Then Gabriel offered him a way out.  
  
    And after spending a month in Blackwatch headquarters he decided he liked it just fine. Yeah the training was hell, annoying, the concept of slacking off was non-existent as far as Gabriel Reyes was concerned. Especially since this situation might not even be permanent. Overwatch had apparently given him a condition. He had a test to pass and if he failed to do so on time then it was off to prison.  
  
    Or death row.  
  
    He wasn’t sure what would be worse.   
  
    But Blackwatch was still miles better than Deadlock even with the amount of work and early mornings he had to put up with. The fact he got to eat three meals a day was enough to sell him on the idea. And a bed, holy shit, sure the mattress creaked like Satan’s bedroom door if you laid on the wrong spot but it was still the comfiest thing Jesse had experienced in years.   
  
    But Overwatch? Fuck this place. Fuck the people in here. The trip over had been nice, fun actually. Without having to hand out orders every twenty seconds Commander Reyes loosened up quite a bit. The flight had been irritating, uncomfortable–Jesse never much liked planes–but the drive had been a riot.  
  
    “Thought the headquarters were straight down the highway.” Jesse muttered as he studied the map.  
  
    Gabriel just shrugged. “We have four hours to kill.”   
  
    There wasn’t much to see on their detour, but a pit stop for junk food and another one to goof around in a department store made it all worth it.   
  
    “Boss, can I get this? Please?” He held up the belt buckle with the biggest puppy eyes he could manage. He was pretty sure that wouldn’t even work, but Gabriel gave in.  
  
    “Yeah, fine, but don’t wear it until _after_ your exam okay? I don’t think it’ll get you any bonus points.”   
  
    Although Jesse’s favorite part had to be when he thought he lost Gabriel in the clothing section. He peeked around every corner, wondering how hard it would be to find a guy decked out in all black.   
  
    “Howdy,” Gabriel said behind him.   
  
    Jesse whirled around to see his commander wearing a straw cowboy hat, the price tag still dangling down from the side. It was lowered in front of his face and his body seemed to leaned forward with his hands resting on his belt.   
  
    “Sorry partner,” Gabriel’s false southern accent was a disaster. “Looks like this town ain’t big enough for the two of us.”   
  
    Jesse snorted when he held back his laughter before striking his own pose. “Looks like we’ve got ourselves a Mexican stand off.”   
  
    Gabriel could barely hide his smile so he tipped the hat down lower. Then his hand snapped behind him before whipping out a dart gun. The suction cup nailed Jesse on the bridge of his nose.  
  
    “Whoops,” The commander tilted his head back. “Looks like I win.”  
  
    “Oh no fair,” Jesse pouted. “I don’t even have a gun. Where did you even get that?”  
  
    “There’s a display of them in the toy section, come on.”   
  
    Jesse thought he could have spent hours trying to beat Gabriel at a quick draw game. He was doing fairly well, the score at 8-6, until one of the store clerks told them they needed to leave.   
  
    “McCree,” Gabriel snatched the nerf gun out of his pocket. “You can’t just take this.”  
  
    “Why not?”  
  
    “Because I’m taking you to a god damn government owned organization. They’ll nail your ass for this and you know it.”  
  
    “Fine, but I’m buying the buckle for real.”   
  
    For the rest of the drive, half of it was spent listening to some music that Jesse could actually understand. When that failed Gabriel finally gave him access to the satellite radio and he wound up captivated by an audio book station.   
  
    He never read enough when he was younger. Maybe his boss would let him have a few books.   
  
    But all the relaxing and good feelings vanished when they reached the HQ. The second he got out of the car, Gabriel was fixing his clothes, his stance, listing off behavior reminders.  
  
    “You should leave the hat in the car.”  
  
    “Like hell.”  
  
    “Then at least take it off when someone’s speaking to you, is that clear?”  
  
    “Yessir.”   
  
    Jesse stuck to the routine of “don’t speak unless spoken to”. He followed close behind Gabriel the entire time, barely even sparing a glance at his surroundings. He didn’t want to make eye contact with anyone, especially when he picked up the things they were saying.   
  
    “Eh? What’s he wearing?”   
  
    “I heard about Commander Reyes bringing in someone today, but that’s just a kid.”  
  
    “Just a kid? I overheard he used to be a straight up criminal. I think he’s here for some exam.”  
  
    “Think he’ll pass?”  
  
    “Just look at him.”  
  
    He flinched once or twice but refused to let anything tear down his poker face. He was used to hearing shit from other people, and right now their shitty opinions didn’t matter. The only opinion he cared about was Gabriel’s and whoever was testing him. The latter of which was only temporary. After he passed this exam they could all stick it.   
  
    There were a couple of people he could tolerate, at least. Gabriel introduced him to Ana Amari who Jesse had already read about. He expected her to be a little more uptight with how dangerous she was, but the woman was nothing but wide grins and friendly words. She even introduced Jesse to her daughter who was visiting the base.  
  
    The pre-teen gave Jesse a long, judging, stare, but when he tipped his hat she giggled.   
  
    Then there was Reinhardt, who more or less ran into them on the way to the main office. Jesse almost felt terrified that there was someone taller than Gabriel and tried not to scream when the man tugged him into a hug. He guessed that was the common greeting, but his nerves crawled from the unusualness of it all.   
  
    “I’m certain you’ll do a fine job.” Reinhardt smacked him on the back hard enough to knock him over. “Gabriel is a fantastic teacher.”   
  
    “Overdoing the praise as always,” Gabriel rolled his eyes but smiled before helping Jesse off the floor.   
  
    “It is all true, my friend. If you have time bring the lad by the mess hall. I would love to tell him of some of our adventures under your leadership.”  
  
    Jesse could feel Gabriel stiffen under his grip, but his commander held the same expression. “If we have time. I’ll consider it. Talk to you later, big guy.”   
  
    The last person before they got to their destination was Angela. In fact she was just leaving Jack Morrison’s office, a stack of files in her hands. Her eyes went wide when she saw Jesse.  
  
    He couldn’t get a read on what she was thinking, but he was a little surprised to see she was the same age as him.   
  
    She didn’t actually say much. She just nodded and greeted Commander Reyes before heading off down the hall.  
  
    “Who’s that?” Jesse mumbled. “The commander’s daughter?”  
  
    Gabriel laughed. “No, not really. Doctor Angela Ziegler.”  
  
    “Doctor?” Jesse’s mouth hung open. “Don’t pull my leg, boss. She can’t be much older than me.”  
  
    “She’s your age, actually.”  
  
    “What?”  
  
    Gabriel just shrugged. “Prodigies are nothing new these days kid, try to keep up. You’re special but you’re not _that_ special.”   
  
    His commander finally knocked on the door. Jack responded with a quick “come in”, not much else. Jesse could feel his nerves coming back when the door slid open.   
  
    The office wasn’t nearly as extravagant as Jesse expected. No shelves full of trophies or awards or anything of the sort. The strike commander sat at his desk, scrolling through something on his holo screen. Nothing else sat on it apart from a few photo frames that Jesse couldn’t see the contents of. There was a mug as well, empty, and Jesse could just make out the word “jackass”.   
  
    He glanced at the one shelf in the room that sat next to a potted plant. The entire thing was full of photos from top to bottom. There were pictures of Jack Morrison from his days in the military, photos of him with Gabriel, and an older couple that Jesse assumed were Jack’s parents.  
  
    Must be nice, having pictures like that.  
  
    The strike commander finally turned the screen off to look at who came in. His bright blue eyes seemed to glow even brighter when he grinned, almost jumping out of his seat.  
  
    “Gabe.”  
  
    Whoa, wait, Gabe? No formal title at all? Jesse was aware the two of them had known each other for years but wasn’t this just a little too friendly?   
  
    Gabriel was smiling too, a bit more of a smirk but a genuine smile as he stepped forward to meet Jack.  
  
    Jesse expected a pat on the arm, a handshake, maybe even a hug.  
  
    He didn’t expect a kiss.  
  
    Not a quick smooch either. Jack gripped the straps on Gabriel’s armor and jerked him forward. He could hear his boss sigh, the tension rushing out of his muscles as he ran his fingers of Jack’s cheek.  
  
    Jesse forced back his surprised scream and resisted his urge to bolt out of the room.  
  
    “Ease up there, Jackie.” Gabriel smiled when he pulled back. “We’ve got work to do.”  
  
    “But it’s been months,” The strike commander was actually pouting. “And you’re so awful about replying to your messages.”  
  
    “It’s been busy, remember?” Gabriel brushed Jack’s hands away. “It’s still busy, by the way, or did you forget I brought McCree here for his test.”  
  
    Only now did Morrison even notice Jesse standing there, probably red in the face. At least he wasn’t the only one now, with the strike commander’s blush crawling all the way down to his neck.   
  
    “Ah, excuse me, that was rather unprofessional.” He rubbed his neck and cleared his throat. “It’s nice to meet you, Jesse McCree. I’m Jack Morrison.”  
  
    Jesse studied his hand for a moment, unsure of how friendly he was allowed to be here. Jack seemed decent, had to be if Gabriel was into him, but Jesse was too afraid of making the wrong step and screwing all of this up.   
  
    So he took the hand, stuttering for a second when he remembered to take his hat off. “Yessir, pleasure to meet you sir.”   
  
    “No need to be so tense,” Jack’s smile was warm. He seemed to glow and for a moment Jesse wondered if that’s where he got his title “Golden Boy” from. “Well, I admit I wasn’t sure about any of this but Gabriel assures me you’ve been doing a good job, and I trust him.”   
  
    Jesse glanced at his commander and nodded in response. Wasn’t sure what to say, his big mouth had gotten him in trouble one too many times.   
  
    “Has anyone shown you around the base yet?”   
  
    “Not yet,” Gabriel answered. “We just got here, figured I should introduce him to you since, you know, you’re one of the people testing him.”   
  
    “Sure,” Jack shrugged before bringing up his clock. “But the exam isn’t for another three hours.”  
  
    “Don’t wanna see it,” Jesse blurted out and almost regretted it with the look Jack was giving him. “I mean, um, I won’t be staying here right? Rather spend my time getting ready.”   
  
    The strike commander frowned as he put the clock away. “That’s fine, but have either of you eaten yet?”  
  
    Gabriel shrugged. “If you count two packs of gummi bears, one bag of trail mix, twelve slim jims, four honey rolls, and two half liter bottles of soda.”  
  
    Jack curled his lip as he leaned back. “Jesus Gabe, I never thought you would eat that much junk food.”  
  
    “Oh no, that’s just what the kid ate.”  
  
    The look of disgust got worse before he shook his head. “Come on, off to the mess hall with both of you. You have to eat something proper before events like this.”   
  
    “Ever the fitness mom, aren’t you.” Gabriel said with a smile, giving Jesse the signal to head out the door.  
  
    He put his hat back onto his head as they walked down the hall, letting himself slow down and drift farther and farther behind his commanders. He studied the way they walked in pace with each other. He didn’t miss their hands brushing together before Gabriel crossed his arms.   
  
    Jesse stared at the spot where Jack was, something aching in his chest, like he’d been replaced. But that was stupid, Jack had probably been there first.   
  
    “I can’t believe you let him eat all of that Gabe.” Jack kept his voice low, probably assuming Jesse could hear him, but there was no other noise in the hall.  
  
    “Hey, sometimes it’s a miracle when that kid will eat anything. Did you not see the photos when we first brought him in? I don’t care if he eats nothing but hot pockets for a month, as long as he eats enough of them it’s fine by me.”   
  
    “Does he not eat the stuff you guys have on base?”  
  
    “He does now, but for the first week he’d flinch whenever I handed him something. Never asked for it. Second week I had to keep reminding him that lunch was actually a _thing_.”  
  
    Jesse remembered that. Gabriel had to drag him to the mess hall in the middle of training at least five times, reminding Jesse that it was lunch time.   
  
    The concept that anyone had enough food to eat three meals a day, seven days a week, still blew his mind.   
  
    The pair of them kept talking, and Jesse wondered if they’d forgotten he was even here. The temptation to wander off on his own rang in the back of his mind but he ignored it.  
  
    He couldn’t screw up today. He had to pass this test.  
  
    He had to make Gabriel proud.  
  
    The tattoo on his shoulder started to itch and burn. He rolled it around instead of scratching at it.   
  
    “Gabe, come on, that’s impossible.”  
  
    “The hell it is. I’m telling you Jackie. Six rounds are out before you can blink. Every target is hit dead center. You’re gonna see it today and don’t miss it, he can only do it once. Gives the poor kid a migraine.”   
  
    Jesse smirked at the idea of showing that technique off, but as Gabriel said it wouldn’t be enough. Even enemies could have a fancy trigger finger.   
  
    “McCree.”  
  
    He jumped at the use of his last name, seeing Gabriel staring back at him.  
  
    “You falling asleep on your feet there kid? Come on.”  
  
    “Sorry boss,” He darted to catch up.   
  
    “Boss?” Jack raised an eyebrow when he smiled.   
  
    Gabriel’s only response was a shrug.  
  
\-------------------  
  
    Jesse decided that he still hated Overwatch, although he didn’t hate Reinhardt or Jack.  
  
    He liked Reinhardt more though.   
  
    It might have to do with the fact the man was a walking encyclopedia of their lives, blurting out any stories that Jesse inquired about. Jack made a few fruitless attempts to get him to stop but they all fell short.   
  
    Reinhardt told him all about some of their original missions. Some were sadder than others, some were exciting. Eventually Jesse was able to dig into the good stuff, embarrassing stories about their down time.   
  
    “Ah, that was not long after they started dating.” Reinhardt grinned.  
  
    “Oh yeah,” Jesse leaned against the table, mouth still full of sandwich. “Boss, why didn’t you tell me you were dating the strike commander?”  
  
    Gabriel didn’t react to it much, just raising an eyebrow. “Number one, I’m technically not, we’re married.”  
  
    Jesse choked.  
  
    “Number two, I could have sworn I mentioned it but I guess not.”   
  
    “Rude,” Jack nudged Gabriel. “Keeping us a secret again.”  
  
    Jesse just kept choking on his food until Reinhardt smacked him on the back a couple of times. He thanked the older soldier as he tried to reclaim control of his lungs. He almost gagged the food back up when he glanced across the table to see Jack kissing his commander again.   
  
    But then Jack and Gabriel got called to do something just as they were all headed down to one of the training rooms. Gabriel parked him on a bench outside of it, pointing down firmly.  
  
    “Stay here, don’t move. This shouldn’t take more than twenty minutes, got it?”  
  
    Jesse nodded, already on the bench. “Yes, boss.”   
  
    So he didn’t move, or at least not much. He got bored enough a couple of times to change position, one time with he legs up against the wall while his head hung over the floor. At least his commander could have left him with a tablet or his gun so he could polish it. This was slowly becoming a new form of torture. He whistled out a few tunes but quickly lost them in his frustration and nerves.   
  
    What if someone he didn’t know showed up? What was he supposed to do?  
  
    No, no, remember, Gabriel already gave him the names of everyone who ranked above him. He didn’t have to answer to anyone else except the people from the UN who’d be wearing visitor badges.   
  
    He didn’t have to answer to anyone else.   
  
    Laughter from his left distracted him. A group of four soldiers came out of one of the training rooms. Three males and one female, at least that was the first impression. All of them were lined with sweat and one had a bruise on their right cheek.   
  
    “Jeez Harrison, try not to punch as hard next time.”   
  
    The feminine looking one jabbed the speaker in the arm with a smirk. “Whatever Brook, maybe you should learn to dodge.”   
  
    Jesse gauged them by their looks. They had to be early twenties, new recruits maybe. Harrison was the shortest of the group but they seemed to have the most bulk on their arms. Brook towered over the rest, a bit on the lanky side but still a touch intimidating.   
  
    Not that it mattered, Jesse had to fight bigger to survive before.  
  
    He moved his eyes up, trying to focus on the ceiling. He waited for them to walk by and leave him alone but his nerves were sparking up again along his arms.  
  
    “Oi, who’s that?” A new voice spoke.   
  
    “Dunno, new guy? What’s with the hat?”  
  
    Ignore them, Jesse chanted away in his head. Ignore them, focus on something else. You’ve got a test to take today. They don’t matter. You’ll never see them again, probably.   
  
    “Oh shit, I know him,” The one with glasses leaned forward. “That’s Jesse McCree, he was from Deadlock.”  
  
    “How the hell do you know that?”  
  
    “Do any of you read some of the reports? When Deadlock was shut down they found this guy, dunno where they’ve been keeping him though.”  
  
    “What’s he doing here?”  
  
    “Dunno.”  
  
    “Hang on, is that a uniform?”  
  
    Jesse flinched but kept his gaze forward. Ignore them. They don’t matter. It doesn’t matter what they think.   
  
    “Hey,” The one with glasses nudged his foot.  
  
    Jesse didn’t say anything, keeping his jaw clenched, but he offered him a glance in response.   
  
    “Are you from Deadlock?” The guy narrowed his eyes.   
  
    Jesse imagined how easy it would be to break his glasses with his forehead, but he didn’t move as he glanced back at the wall.   
  
    “No comment.” He said. Gabriel told him once it was a bit nicer to say that instead of “It’s none of your goddamn business.”   
  
    “A bit sour for someone who’s hanging around here not in cuffs.” Harrison leaned against the wall next to the bench, studying him up and down. “How old are you?”  
  
    “No comment.”   
  
    “Care to tell us what you’re doing lounging outside of the training rooms then?” Brook leaned over him, probably trying to look intimidating but it didn’t work. His face was too scrawny. That bruise was too obvious. Jesse just stared back up at him, eyes fixed and unwavering.  
  
    “That’s classified.”   
  
    “Bull shit it is.”  
  
    “It could be,” The one with the quietest voice finally spoke up again. “And even if we wanted to know we’d have to ask one of our commanders. He might not be allowed to say.”  
  
    “He must have come with Reyes.” The one with glasses had his tablet out, scrolling through a feed of some kind. The hell? Were Overwatch members allowed their own forum? What kind of shit was that?   
  
    “Shit, Reyes is on base?” Harrison said. “They finally let him out of Hell?”  
  
    Jesse blinked and shot his gaze over to her.   
  
    “Oooh, the grim reaper himself, how spooky.” Brook rolled his eyes. “It’s not like he ever does anything here besides skulk around and go to meetings.”   
  
    “If he’s with Reyes it makes sense though.” Harrison shrugged. “I guess the Devil would be in the business of hiring criminals.”   
  
    “The hell did you say?” Jesse fixed her with a glare this time. He knew he needed to stop, but there was nowhere to run to. He had to stay put. The hell were these people even talking about? Grim Reaper? The Devil? They couldn’t possibly be talking about Gabriel. The man was terrifying in battle, sure, but he was a god damn saint.   
  
    “He speaks, it’s a miracle.” Brook was leaning over him again.   
  
    “Maybe he is one of Reyes’s goons then.”  
  
    His skin burned. His tattoo itched again. Goon, he always hated that word, never argued with it but he always hated it. He was more than that now, wasn’t he? Or he would be when he passed this test.  
  
    The test, right, he had to stay calm. He had to sit here and wait, not start a fight.  
  
   _“Listen kid, if you kick up too much trouble I might not be able to protect you anymore.”_  
  
    He breathed in and out. Focus Jesse McCree, don’t let them ruin your focus. Nothing they say matters. You’re not in Deadlock anymore.   
  
    “Hey, are you listening?” Someone tugged at his hat.  
  
    His hand snapped up before he could think, almost crushing the wrist of the guy with glasses.   
  
    Suddenly Harrison was slamming him back against the wall, forcing him to let go. He could have easily nailed her in the stomach but he held back. Don’t start a fight. Don’t cause any trouble. Stay out of trouble. Stay put.   
  
    “Hey,” Brook said. “I don’t know who left you here by yourself but if you try and start something we’ll drag you off to the Director’s office.”   
  
    “I ain’t going nowhere.” McCree spat. “Boss told me to wait here.”   
  
    “Huh, Grim Reaper must be really scaring if he can make people like you listen.”  
  
    Jesse glared. “His name is Gabriel Reyes.”   
  
    Brook smirked. Jesse knew he was losing this battle of wills. “That so? Haven’t you heard where he got his names from?”  
  
    “They say he almost never takes in survivors.” Glasses spoke.  
  
    “Hey, maybe that’s why you’re listening.” Brook was leaning close, too close. Anger flared under Jesse’s skin and he could almost see red. “Cause if you don’t he’ll take you down like all your friends.”   
  
    Jesse thought for a second about the moment on the field when Gabriel pointed both shot guns in his direction. Then he just remembered the shock, the fear, as he pulled them back.  
  
    He thought about those moments in the poorly lit interrogation room, when Gabriel’s face was a little more than a shadow but his voice was somehow safe.   
  
    Jail, death row, or Blackwatch, those were his options.  
  
    There was no threat from him, just from Overwatch, from the UN. Jesse either took the line given to him or he’d fall into no man’s land.   
  
    Grim Reaper didn’t offer second chances. Gabriel Reyes did.   
  
    These thoughts crowded his mind when he suddenly slammed his head into Brook’s nose.   
  
    The guy reeled back in shock, shouting in pain. The quiet one moved to help him while Harrison slammed him against the wall again. Jesse’s elbow snapped up, nailing her in the jaw. Before she could recover he gripped the collar of her shirt and jerked her back down, connecting her throat and his knee.   
  
    She collapsed on the floor gasping for air. The quiet one decided to take action, trying to haul Jesse to his feet but he didn’t want to move. A swift kick to their chin and an elbow to the ear at least made them back off.   
  
    Then glasses joined in, barreling Jesse onto the ground. The weight difference was staggering and for a second he struggled to move his shoulders. Trying to move his head resulted in Glasses shoving it back down, hand over his mouth.  
  
    Jesse bit down as hard as he could. Glasses screamed and tried to reel back, giving Jesse enough room to knee him directly in the gut.   
  
    He wiggled his way out, considered running for it, but instead plopped his stubborn ass back down on the stool.   
  
    Brook, still bleeding from the nose, looked like he wanted to start something, but a voice interrupted.  
  
    “Whoa, can you teach me to do that?”  
  
    Jesse turned his head to the side to see Fareeha with Angela. The young lady looked ecstatic at what she just saw but the doctor was staring back in fear, talking to someone on her communicator.  
  
    Oh. Shit.   
  
\--------------------------  
  
    Jesse decided he really hated Overwatch. Their interrogation rooms were somehow even more uncomfortable. He couldn’t tell if it was the bright light, the fact he was cuffed to a weird part of the chair, or the noise coming from right outside the door.  
  
    They knew that part wasn’t entirely soundproof right?   
  
    “Jack that was bullshit and you know it.” Gabriel was screaming.   
  
    “I told you I didn’t know the details.”  
  
    “You couldn’t give me some kind of warning? What kind of set up was that.”  
  
    “It wasn’t my-”  
  
    “No, of course not, you’re just following orders blindly like always.”   
  
    Jesse felt sick. He wanted to lie down. He didn’t like hearing Gabriel get this angry. He tried to imagine his expression while he argued with Jack, a man he was blissfully smiling at just an hour ago.   
  
    This was all Jesse’s fault.  
  
    Shouldn’t have started a fight. Shouldn’t have moved. Shouldn’t have said anything.   
  
    “What do you want me to do about it Gabe?”  
  
    “I want you to let me in there so I can talk to the damn kid. He’s probably fucking terrified right now and all this silence isn’t fucking helping.”   
  
    There was a pause.  
  
    “Just let me find out what happened, Jack. Before we have to go talk to these stiff shirts.”  
  
    “All right, fine, but I’m going in after you.”  
  
    “What?”  
  
    “You heard me.”  
  
    The door clicked. Jesse kept his head down but glanced up to see Gabriel walk in. His eyebrows were pressed together, tired, irritated, but his eyes were concerned.   
  
    “McCree.”  
  
    He immediately looked back at the table. “‘m sorry boss.”   
  
    “McCree.”  
  
    “Sorry, I’m sorry. I dunno what happened it was all so fast. I promise I tried to stay there like you told me and I-”  
  
    “Jesse.”  
  
    His gaze snapped up, only now to realized Gabriel was sitting on the table next to him. He took off Jesse’s hat, putting it down on the table in front of him.  
  
    “Calm down, I’m not that mad at you. Usually when you intend to cause trouble you’re not this damn apologetic about it. Just tell me what happened.”  
  
    Jesse sniffed and rubbed his nose on his shoulder. “Was waiting there like you said. Those four guys came out into the hall and recognized me. Tried to talk to me so I ignored them.”   
  
    “That’s a first for you. You must really be taking this seriously.” Gabriel poked Jesse on the forehead.   
  
    He shook his head. “They started talking about you. Kept calling you weird named like Devil and Grim Reaper.”  
  
    “Trashy rumors started by tabloids.”   
  
    Jesse figured he’d ask about it later. “Started saying the only reason I’d listen to you is cause I was afraid of you.”  
  
    “Are you?”  
  
    He stared at Gabriel. “No, you’re not scary.”  
  
    His commander laughed. “You sure about that kid? You looked like you were going to pass out when I finally reached you back on Route 66.”  
  
    “That was before I knew you.”  
  
    “You’ve only known me for a month.”  
  
    “You wouldn’t hurt me.” Jesse mumbled. He couldn’t even quite place why he believed that, but he did.   
  
    “So let me get this straight.” Gabriel crossed his arms. “Those four were talking shit about me so you beat them up. Thought I taught you to ignore shit like that.”   
  
    “I was, mostly. One of them shoved me against the wall.”   
  
    “Yeah I saw that, we have cameras in that hall you know.”   
  
    Jesse flinched, realizing it probably looked like he started the whole thing. “Sorry, I’m really sorry.”  
  
    “Quit apologizing kid.”  
  
    “But I screwed up.” He almost jumped out of his seat. “I fucked up. I haven’t even gotten to the exam yet and I fucked up. I just wasted all your damn time.”   
  
    He swallowed back tears as he pulled his legs up onto the chair, pressing his forehead against his knees. “Sorry boss, but I failed you.”   
  
    He heard Gabriel get up, heard the door handle shift. “Nah kid, seems more like I failed you.”   
  
    Jesse sat up straight in an instant. He caught Gabriel shutting the door behind him and jumped up to follow but the handcuff jerked him back. His shoulders slammed into the metal chair and he groaned.   
  
    Jesse hated this place.   
  
    The door opened again and there was Jack Morrison, looking down at him with those damn blue eyes.  
  
    “Are you okay, McCree?”  
  
    “Fine, sir,” He scrambled to get back into the chair, but his arm kept twisting in awkward angles.   
  
    Jack sighed as he shut the door. “I’ll take that off if you promise to stay in the seat.”   
  
    Jesse glared back up, not wanting any help from him, but he was still stuck on the floor. He nodded and agreed to stay put. As if he wasn’t in enough trouble already. When they announced his sentence, then he could make a break for it.   
  
    Jack unlocked the cuffs and waited for McCree to climb back into the chair before sitting across from him. His hands were folded into a horizontal line that rested in front of his mouth.   
  
    “McCree, I need to ask you something.”  
  
    “Huh? What is it, sir?” He tried to bite back his snarky tone.  
  
    “How old were you when you joined Deadlock?”  
  
    Jesse blinked, surprised he hadn’t been asked that earlier. Gabriel never had at least, whether because he decided it wasn’t important or he just didn’t care.  
  
    “Erm, can I ask why you want to know that, sir?”   
  
    Jack’s eyes moved from the wall to stare directly at him. “Because it’s not on file. Either Gabe, er, Commander Reyes, never asked you or never wrote it down.”  
  
    “But why do you want to know?”   
  
    “Answer the question,” Jack’s tone dropped. “Or don’t, that’s up to you, but I’m not here to hurt you.”  
  
    Jesse wanted to argue against that, but finally slumped back in his seat. “Fourteen. I was fourteen when I joined them.”   
  
    Jack’s elbows slipped on the table before he straightened himself up. “What?”  
  
    “Sorry sir, did I stutter? I was fourteen. Lost my Pa at seven, lost my Ma at twelve. Foster care wasn’t working out so I ran for it. Picked the pocket of the wrong guy and he decided he liked my thieving skills. That’s what happened.”   
  
    Jack was giving him a look of pity, that look that Jesse hated so much. He couldn’t tell him to stop so instead he shoved his hat back on his head, pulling it down over his eyes.   
  
    The strike commander let out a long sigh, his hands dropping to the table. “McCree, those soldiers were part of the test.”  
  
    “What?” Jesse’s heart stopped.   
  
    “Commander Reyes and I got a message to come see the UN members without you. We thought it was a test to see if you could follow orders, turns out it was more.”  
  
    “That ain’t fair.” Jesse slammed his fists on the table. “They all cornered me, the hell was I supposed to do? That’s a damn set up.”   
  
    “Believe me, I feel the same way.” Jack drummed at the metal table. “We’re going to discuss it with them. The UN is debating to even give you the rest of the exam.”  
  
    The young cowboy let his head fall forward and slam against the table. It hurt but not nearly as much as the pressure on his throat. For a moment he thought he couldn’t breath.   
  
    He was never going to get out of this. He was a member of Deadlock now. That’s all he was to the UN, to Overwatch, to the general public. His tattoo was burning a hole in his shoulder. His left arm wrapped around to grip it, digging his nails in as hard as he could.   
  
    “He might not want me to tell you this.”  
  
    Jesse looked back up to see Jack staring at the door.  
  
    “McCree, did you know how the sting operation was supposed to end?”  
  
    “What do you mean?”  
  
    “It was a Blackwatch operation. It wasn’t about arresting Deadlock members, it was about wiping them out.”   
  
    Jesse gripped his shoulder tighter as his blood went cold. “What?”  
  
    “That was the order, not one I gave but one I knew about. Any members that survived were to be brought in, questioned, and erased.”   
  
    A number of emotions shot through Jesse’s chest as he fists slammed back onto the table. “No, that can’t be right. Boss offered me a choice.”  
  
    “You were the only one,” Jack finally looked at him. “And it was never meant to be that way.”  
  
    “The hell are you saying?”  
  
    “I’m saying directly after the mission he called me up in a panic, raving about how he found some kid there working for all these gang members. He begged me to help him argue with the higher ups for another solution to this mess. Not even Blackwatch should be getting orders to execute children.”   
  
    “Criminals,” Jesse spat, his eyes clouding up. “I was just a criminal, right? Didn’t matter where I came from. But it didn’t matter where half those guys came from, did it? Why me?”  
  
    “You’re seventeen.” Jack frowned. “You were half the age of anyone else we found in that gang.”  
  
    He ground his teeth together but kept his mouth shut.   
  
    “Arguing your age didn’t work, so Gabriel argued for your potential instead. He reported the damage you did, said he wanted to put your skills to better use. It took him two days to get the UN to at least let him train you up for a test.”   
  
    “Why are you telling me this?” Jesse muttered. His arms were going numb, the sensation creeping up to his chest.   
  
    “Because, my husband’s a huge softie. He’s trying to protect you because you’re a kid, but he forgets you’re a soldier too. You deserve to know what kind of situation you’re really in. This isn’t just a matter of going to Blackwatch or going to jail.”  
  
    “It’s a death sentence.”   
  
    “Yeah.”   
  
    “And they rigged it.”   
  
    Jack sighed, “We’re going to take care of it.”  
  
    “Don’t promise me that.” Jesse shouted. “You shouldn’t even try. What does it matter? People in the big seats don’t care. It’s no skin off their nose if someone else dies.” His tears finally broke and rushed down his cheeks. “Doesn’t matter if someone else dies, specially not if it’s someone like me. I ain’t that old, ain’t done anything yet. Who cares if I disappear?”   
  
    Jack stood up from his seat, leaning on the table. “I can tell you for free that Gabe does. And knowing what I do about him he’s going to get you out of this, one  way or another, so trust him.”  
  
    Jack headed out of the room, that silly blue coat fluttering behind him as he shut the door. Jesse returned to curling up on the metal chair. He wanted to run, get out of here. If he waited for the right chance he could easily break the lock and get off the base before anyone noticed.  
  
    But he promised he’d stay put, and he planned on following that order this time.   
  
    The door clicked again. He looked up and didn’t see anyone for a while until his gaze fell. Fareeha stood there, peering through the door with wide eyes.  
  
    “What are you doing here?” He quickly wiped the tears off his face.   
  
    “You wanna get out?” She asked.   
  
    “No, promised I’d stay put.”   
  
    “Okay,” She came into the room, shutting the door behind her.   
  
    “The hell are you doing in here kid?”  
  
    “Don’t call me kid, you’re not that much older.” She turned and glared at him. “I wanted to talk to you.”  
  
    “Where’s your mom?”  
  
    “Not here.” She climbed into the opposite chair, smiling. “Just us.”   
  
    “How did you get in?”  
  
    “Stole her key.”   
  
    Jesse tried to keep himself from smiling. He was impressed. “You ain’t scared?”  
  
    “You’re not scary, you seem fun.” She leaned forward on the table. “So tell me, cowboy, where did you learn to fight dirty?”   
  
\----------------------  
  
    “I fail to see how this doesn’t prove he’s still a threat to our organization.” The one male UN representative was taking up most of the speaking like a prick. There were two females with him, both sporting the same hairstyles but different suits. One seemed more irritated with her co-worker than the situation and the other seemed to be lost in thought.   
  
    “He’s about as threatening as a god damn house cat.” Gabriel leaned back in his chair. He’d been given permission to speak freely and he planned to use it. “Not my fault your recruits either weren’t ready or weren’t trained.”   
  
    “They’re new.” Jack explained.  
  
    “Well that’s your problem, isn’t it?” Gabriel shrugged. “I know the kid’s tiny, but he’s been doing this shit most of his life. You know, on that note.” He fixed his glare at the man on the other end of the table. “Dunno why you think anyone wouldn’t fight back when they’re cornered by four damn soldiers.”  
  
    “He had his orders.”  
  
    “His _orders_ were to stay put. If you ask me he did that pretty damn well.”   
  
    “He shouldn’t have engaged.”  
  
    “Then slap his wrist and move on.” Gabriel slammed his fist on the table. “But this is about more than that, isn’t it?”  
  
    “Reyes,” Jack put a hand on his arm, but it only calmed his anger down so much.   
  
    “You know what I think, sir? I think you’re complaints are completely unwarranted. Fighting among soldiers happens all the damn time. Why do you expect his punishment to be so damn severe for it?”  
  
    “He’s not a soldier,” The irritated woman cut in. “He’s a criminal.”  
  
    “He’s a kid,” Gabriel growled.   
  
    “That does not remove his history.”  
  
    “He joined Deadlock at fourteen.” Jack suddenly said.  
  
    Gabriel froze, turning to stare at his husband. Is that the damn reason Jack went in there? To ask Jesse about that shit?  
  
    Boy were they going to have a talk later. There was some shit you just didn’t pry into.   
  
    “What is your point, Commander Morrison?” The deep thinker asked, taking notes.   
  
    “He was on his own at twelve, the gang practically dragged him in with no other options. Working with Deadlock was a survival tactic, not a career choice.”   
  
    “So you want us to offer him another choice.”   
  
    “Gabriel already did.” Jack frowned, shooting him a glance.  
  
    Gabriel sat up. “Yeah, I did, kid took it the second he realized there wasn’t a catch to it. Hasn’t moved a toe out of line once back in Blackwatch. I tell him to do something and he does it, no questions. Was only late his first two days. Only one fight because another member stole his hat. It doesn’t take as much to get him to listen as you people seem to think.”  
  
    He stood up now, leaning on the table. “You wanna give him a test? Fine, but make it damn fair. Don’t give a seventeen year old kid impossible standards to reach. He shouldn’t even be in Blackwatch. He should be in a damn school. But if that’s the best option I’m going to get for him then I’m going to take it.”   
  
    The silence in the room was almost terrifying. Thinker kept scratching away on her notepad. Irritated was tapping at the table, glancing at both of her coworkers while Mr. High-and-mighty just scoffed.  
  
    “We’ll discuss it. You’re both dismissed.”  
  
    Gabriel wanted to hurl the chair across the room, but instead left as quickly as he could. The sooner he was out of that heartless pit the better.   
  
    “Gabe,” Jack’s voice was a whisper as he caught up. “Calm down a little.”  
  
    “Calm down? Calm down?” He whirled around. “They’re talking about the kid’s life in there like they’re trying to decide what kind of take out they want. And what the hell were you doing asking Jesse about his time before Deadlock?” He jabbed Jack on the chest.  
  
    “I needed to know.”  
  
    “What for? If he was some runaway versus a stray?”  
  
    “Gabe.”  
  
    “It doesn’t damn well matter Jack. A kid that age shouldn’t be involved with illegal arms. A kid that age shouldn’t be forced to decide if he wants to die on death row or die out on a shitty mission.”   
  
    “We both signed up for the military at his age.”  
  
    “Yeah but we had a choice.” He raised his voice a little to high and caught himself, rubbing a hand over his mouth. “We had a choice, Jack. That kid’s been trapped in this mess and he still doesn’t have a way out. Do you not get how fucked up that is?”  
  
    Jack sighed, “I do.”  
  
    “Least I can damn well do for him is keep an eye on him.”   
  
    “Just as soft as ever,” Jack brushed their hands together, clearly asking for permission. Gabriel grabbed hold of it.  
  
    “Listen, if they make a bad decision, I’m getting him out of here. Consequences be damned.”  
  
    “Yeah, I believe you.” Jack pressed a kiss to his cheek before whispering in his ear. “And I’ll help.”   
  
    The tension left him, if only for a moment. “Thanks Jackie.”   
  
    “Of course,” Another kiss before Gabriel finally turned his head to meet his lips. “Do you want to go check on him?”  
  
    “Think I should?”  
  
    “He was pretty upset when I left, so I would. Don’t worry, I know how to stall some stiff suits.”   
  
    “Still the best,” Gabe smiled, tugging Jack into one more kiss before letting him go and heading down the hall.   
  
    He got to the interrogation room as fast as his pace would allow. He still had to look like a professional in front of all these other recruits after all.   
  
    His hand reached the doorknob only to realize the damn thing was unlocked. Panic shot up his throat the idea that Jesse might have bolted without him. If that happened there’d be no way to get him out.  
  
    He threw open the door.  
  
    Fareeha was in there, sitting on the table with a bunch of blank sheets of paper and a handful of pens. Jesse was still in his seat, doodling some kind of canine onto the page.  
  
    Both of them were staring at him with wide eyes.  
  
    “Hey Dad,” Fareeha smiled.   
  
    Jesse spun around. “Dad?”  
  
    “Yeah, he’s sort of like my dad I guess. So is Jack. Oh and Reinhardt is too.”   
  
    Jesse’s mouth hung open before he shook his head and looked back at Gabriel. “Did something happen, boss?”   
  
    “They’re thinking on it,” Gabriel sneered as he rolled his eyes. He stepped into the room, shutting the door before leaning on it. “Fareeha, what the hell are you doing in here?”  
  
    “I wanted to talk to the cowboy.”  
  
    “Stole your mom’s keys again?”   
  
    She stuck out her tongue. Gabriel just held his hand out in response. She pouted for a while but eventually pulled out the card and the set of keys, tossing them in his direction.   
  
    “Now, if you run along without a fuss I won’t tell your mom what you’ve been doing.”   
  
    “Fine, you’re so boring sometimes.” She climbed off the table and dropped the pens onto the stack of pages. “Here, you keep these Jesse, in case you get bored.”   
  
    “Aw, thank you kindly little lady.”   
  
    She giggled again before dashing over to the door. Gabriel opened it and she waved to them both before heading outside.   
  
    “Miss Amari’s got a smart kid.” Jesse was grinning. It was good to see him in a better mood.  
  
    “Yeah, too smart. The little thing’s been nothing but trouble since she was eight.” Gabriel sighed.   
  
    “She’s a charmer.”  
  
    “Yeah, I’ve noticed.” Gabriel smiled as he wandered over. “What are you drawing there?”   
  
    “Was trying to show her a Coyote, but uh, looks more like a weird sausage I think.”   
  
    Gabriel tilted his head. The snout and the ears were easy enough to see, but the critter’s torso was far too long. He chuckled a bit but shrugged. “It’s all with practice. I can get you a notebook if you like.”  
  
    “Nah, not really my thing. Prefer whittling.” The cowboy pushed the pages away. “But uh, I wanted to ask actually. If we get out of here think you can grab me some books? Been ages since I read something decent.”   
  
    “Let me guess, westerns?”   
  
    “You don’t have to,” Jesse playfully shoved him. “Something with some cool fight scenes would be nice though.”   
  
    “I can think of a few,” Gabriel was leaning against the table again. Somehow he couldn’t keep himself from smiling as he looked down at Jesse. The kid’s eyes were still a little red, must have been crying earlier. He didn’t blame him, this had to be terrifying.   
  
    “Hey,” Jesse clicked one of the pens. “Why are you doing all of this?”  
  
    “Huh?”  
  
    “Helping me this much. Jack told me about what you did just to get the UN to give you a month with me. Just don’t understand why you’d do that for some lowlife.”   
  
    “Number one, you’re not a lowlife.” Gabriel frowned. “You’re a kid who just played the hand he was dealt. I think it’s only fair I give you a new deck.”  
  
    “But you don’t have to.”  
  
    “I don’t have to do anything, kid, and you shouldn’t either.” He jabbed Jesse on the nose. “You should do things because you want to. I’m helping you because I want to, because that’s why I started doing all of this.”  
  
    Jesse just frowned in response.   
  
    “I wanted to make something bigger of myself when I joined SEP. I wound up leading Overwatch during the omnic crisis and shut it all down, but honestly, I barely saw the effect it had. World is still in shambles, and obviously it didn’t leave enough of an impression for me to get the promotion.”  
  
    Jesse muttered something but Gabriel didn’t catch it.   
  
    “It’s the small things you notice, kid. And it’s those things that people remember. I work in Blackwatch because it’s where I’m needed, not because it leaves an impression. If I want to leave an impression on the world I do something small like helping a kid get a better shot at life.”   
  
    Jesse’s eyes widened, the same expression he had when Gabriel first told him there was a way out of all of this. He didn’t want to imagine what would happen if something shattered the amount of hope in his eyes.   
  
    Then they were going red again. The cowboy sniffed and looked down to rub at them. “Thanks for believing in me boss.”  
  
    “Hey, anytime kid. I’ve got your back, okay?” He put Jesse’s hat on the table again and let himself ruffle the kid’s hair.   
  
    His communicator suddenly went off. He snatched it out of his pocket before answering.  
  
    “Commander Reyes.”  
  
     _“Gabe,”_ Jack answered. _“They decided.”_  
  
    He held his breath. “And?”  
  
     _“They said they’ll run the rest of the original test. They want to see what he’s capable of.”_  
  
    Well it wasn’t the best news he heard all day but he’d take it. He glanced down to see Jesse’s terrified expression.   
  
    Gabriel gave him a thumbs up.  
  
    The kid hollered as he jumped out of his seat, suddenly hugging Gabriel in his excitement.   
  
     _“Head over to the shooting range as soon as possible.”_ Jack said. _“Preferably sooner, I think the one with the notepad is trying to flirt with me.”_  
  
    Gabriel laughed, his arm unconsciously wrapping around Jesse’s shoulders. “Did you not tell her you were married?”  
  
     _“I’m not sure she believes me.”_  
  
    “Well how am I supposed to help? I can’t exactly make out with you in front of our superiors.”  
  
     _“Distract her with your beauty.”_  
  
    Gabriel burst out laughing at that. “Yeah, sure, okay, we’ll be there soon.”  
  
    He hung up the communicator and looked down to see Jesse’s face still pressed against his collar bone. The kid’s smile almost stretched across his whole face.   
  
    “Uh, kid? We gotta go.”  
  
    “Right,” He stumbled back, grabbing his hat and fitting it back on his head. “Come on, let’s go. I’m gonna show them what I’m made of.”  
  
    “Might want to hold back a bit. Don’t think they can handle it.” Gabriel shoved the hat down farther before heading to the door.   
  
    “Look out Overwatch,” Jesse smirked as he ran out into the hall. “Here comes Jesse McCree.”   
  
    Gabriel rolled his eyes as he shoved Jesse forward a bit. “Professional, kid.”  
  
    “Right boss, sorry boss. I’m gonna make you proud.”   
  
    He could feel his expression soften as he squeezed the kid’s shoulder and urged him down the hall.  
  
    “You already have.”


End file.
